Watch This Space: June 8 – 14

Welcome to your weekly go-to-guide – WatchThisSpace – where we give you recommendations of films to watch in the cinema, on the television and those brilliant films hiding at the back of your DVD collection.

IN THE CINEMA

The day has finally come. After moths of waiting, and an unrelenting series of trailers/teasers, ‘Jurassic World’ is here. Colin Trevorrow’s relaunch of the iconic series promises terror, action and wonder aplenty. Advanced screening reviews are tending to be almost unanimous in the belief that this is the sequel that the original truly deserves, despite there being a hiatus on reviews containing plot spoilers. Get yourself along to the cinema and experience the wonder of being a child all over again, in what people are tipping to be the hottest blockbuster of the year.

A slightly unusual film is also released in UK cinemas this week in the form of musical ‘London Road’. The plot follows the struggles of a local community in Ipswich after their quiet community is shattered by a series of murders. A story based on the real events of 2006, this film is an adaptation of the very successful West-End musical, and the original cast star alongside two of Britain’s finest actors in Tom Hardy and Olivia Colman. This film has already gone down well with critics so we’d expect this to definitely be worth a trip to the big screen.

ON TELEVISION

Tuesday 22:45GMT: With Colin Trevorrow’s dinosaur-filled blockbuster hitting cinemas this week, seeing another of his feature length films in ‘Safety Not Guaranteed’on Film4 sounds like a good idea. This film is regarded as grossly underrated by the film industry and its fans, and we admit it has passed us by util now. So we’re going to sit down with you and watch this for the first time as well!

Wednesday 23:10 GMT: Cinema at its dark and sordid best here in ‘Shame’on Film4 this week. Michael Fassbender is the main man, playing a sex-crazed New York executive and Carey Mulligan stars alongside him as his sister. A particularly sexually graphic film that will have you recoiling in horror at one man’s path towards self-destruction.

Friday 23:10 GMT: The Colin Farrell remake may have been an absolute travesty, but the 1990 version of ‘Total Recall’ with Arnie is the perfect, action packed, sci-fi thriller on ITV.

Sunday 15:40 GMT: George Miller isn’t just into car chases and mad men, he also loves all singing, all dancing penguins. See the proof with ‘Happy Feet’ on ITV2.

Sunday 21:00 GMT: Whilst ‘Age Of Ultron’ may have disappointed upon release earlier this year, you can see how the Marvel Cinematic Universe kicked off in style with ‘Iron Man’ on Film4.

DIG IT OUT

This is our favourite part of the WatchThisSpacesection. We delve into our own DVD collection and pick out some amazing films, that may not instantly spring to mind when you’re stuck for inspiration to make your movie night a success. Maybe you’ve never seen a film that we pick – or even heard of them for that matter – but you’re gonna have to trust us on this one, and Dig It Out.

Romeo + Juliet:With the epic trailer for ‘Macbeth’ landing last week, we thought it apt to forage into the Shakespearean collection for more. Starring the impeccable Leonardo DiCaprio, and Claire Danes (Homeland), this is a stunning modernisation of the ultimate romantic tale. A reimagining perfectly brought to life by the master of contemporary/classical contrasts – Baz Luhrmann.

The Green Mile: We each had a go at putting together a list of our top 50 films of all time last week. The result of hours of gruelling decision making, was two lists with a diverse range of films on both sides. But one film which stands out as being a must see, is Tom Hanks’ brilliant depiction of a death row officer. If you haven’t seen it already, get ready for a heartbreaking yet magical story. One of the only films which never fails to send me to tears.

Black Swan: What better way to celebrate Natalie Portman’s upcoming birthday this week ,then to relive arguably her best ever performance. ‘Black Swan’ is a truly wonderful cinematic experience, with an utterly mesmerising soundtrack. A film that investigates personal ambition and the lengths that someone will go to to live out their dream. Haunting and disturbing, this psychological thriller is not for the faint-hearted, but it is one of our favourite films so we recommend you get your hands on a copy and get watching!

Pan’s Labyrinth: Following Barcelona’s victory in the UEFA Champions League at the weekend, we thought it would be appropriate to dig out one of Spain’s more notable cinematic contributions. ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ is dark and twisted retelling of the Spanish Civil War from the viewpoint of a small girl with a vivid imagination. This film is as violent as it is disturbing and unsettling, but we recommend it all the same.